CHEERY WORK & WEEKEND WEAR THAT TAKES YOU HAPPILY THROUGH YOUR DAY
Story by Rachel Martin
Photos provided by Bergström Originals
Bergström Originals has been a Toronto fashion staple on the Queen Street East scene since 2003. Designer Christina Bergström began building her brand in 1998 and over the years has created season after season of charming, practical women’s designs.
The Bergström Originals boutique, located in the Riverside neighbourhood of the city, continues to serve a steady stream of customers who need pieces for work and for play. Along with the Bergström Originals brand, the shop carries shoes by Fly London, El Naturalista, Art, and Virus Moda – the perfect accents to Bergström‘s unique designs.
Here, Bergström tells us about her latest collection.
Your Spring/Summer 2012 collection is titled Vintage Modern. When building a collection like this, how to you find balance between current and past trends? Is the inspiration for the collection rooted in the past or the present?
I don’t really follow current fashion trends. I used the vintage-inspired prints in cuts and styles that felt modern to me. Aesthetically, I am a modernist. So with a wild and playful vintage print, I like to keep design lines clean and uncluttered.
All of the looks in your catalogue exude femininity, warmth and confidence. Would you say this is a reflection of your clientele?
Yes, that is a lovely way to put it. My clientele also have a playful edge and sense of humour. They understand that fashion doesn’t have to be so serious!
You describe your brand as being designed with “real Canadian women in mind…”. How does this play into casting your models?
Keeping “real Canadian women in mind” is about designing clothes for a woman who leads a busy life; every day, they balance their jobs, family and social lives. It’s about creating pieces that transfer well, and maintain a certain degree of discretion in their cuts. My model castings are always about finding fresh, vibrant, and age-appropriate looking women who represent a healthy and attractive ideal.
Prints and texture appear to be key elements to the Vintage Modern collection. Is this a thread seen through out your work, or is it singular to this collection?
Prints are always a mainstay in my collections. They really move me, like art. I love the concept of mixing prints, as an artist would paint a canvas.
If you had to describe your clientele in a few words, what would they be?
Stylish women with a creative edge, who want a unique look that sets them apart from the crowd, with clothes that translate well between all the facets of their busy lives.
What is your favourite piece in the collection right now?
The “Twiggy Shift” in brown and orange. It’s such an easy cut to wear, and I love the pockets!
Bergström Originals, 781 Queen St East, Toronto
